Great … Purchasing through our affiliates helps support JBC. The World That We Knew: A Novel by Alice Hoffman book review. Get a FREE e-book by joining our mailing list today! And daring and resourceful Etti, the rabbi’s daughter — will she survive? When this novel focuses on the magic parts of its story, its language is magical: In Nazi-controlled Berlin, “There were more demons every day, so many, there was no longer any room for them in the trees or on the window ledges. I always left my window open at night, despite the…, Celebrate Jewish Book Month with #30days30authors! We learn halfway through the book that Hanni instructed her daughter to destroy Ava once Lea is brought to safety. Reviews |
WWII fiction has glutted the market, but Hoffman’s unique brand of magical realism and the beautiful, tender yet devastating way she explores her subject make this a standout.”—BOOKLIST (STARRED REVIEW) “One of America’s most brilliant novelists since her debut, Property Of, Hoffman uses her signature element of magical realism to tackle an intolerably painful chapter in history. In a continuation of the fairy tale, and as the ghetto experience becomes more ominous, Lea’s mother, Hanni, goes to the rabbi’s wife in the hope that the rabbi’s knowledge of mysticism would have him create a golem to protect her daughter. The book builds and builds, as she weaves together, seamlessly, the stories of people in the most desperate of circumstances—and then it delivers with a tremendous punch. I’ve found that the best book club discussion questions are ones that are open-ended and that get people to share their personal opinions. Plus, receive recommendations for your next Book Club read. Do you think she made the right decision? Her debut novel, The Heirs, was published in May 2018 by Stephen F. Austin State University Press. Buy This Book. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions. Her husband, Simon, was murdered on a winter afternoon during a riot outside the Jewish Hospital on Iranische Strasse, which was miraculously still functioning despite the laws against the Jews. She sends her fictional characters into known history, wedging in pieces of background information that can feel exactly like that. She hatches a plan to ask the rabbi to help Lea, but the rabbi’s wife refuses to even let her ask the rabbi. She longs for free will. Full access is for members only. Arguably, every single historical novel should evoke those two much-quoted lines of William Faulkner’s: “The past is never dead. $39 for a year. Can Ava posses a soul due to her ability to love? Beyond the Book |
— Joe Hill, New York Times bestselling author of Stange Hill and The Fireman "A spellbinding portrait of what it means to be human in an inhuman world. “[A] hymn to the power of resistance, perseverance, and enduring love in dark times…gravely beautiful…Hoffman the storyteller continues to dazzle.” —THE NEW YORK TIMES “Oh, what a book this is! Must redeem within 90 days. Find information on becoming a touring authors and how to bring an author into your community. But it is Ettie, the rabbi’s daughter, who overhears and is eager to help. When she and the heron dance, “Ava looked luminous as she danced barefoot, and sometimes she threw her head back and laughed with delight.”. Did her love story surprise you? See full terms and conditions and this month's choices. Get the latest reviews, news, and more in your inbox. “That was how evil spoke. employs her signature lyricism to express the agony of the Holocaust with a depth seldom equaled in more seemingly realistic accounts. Hoffman has written about Jews under siege before: in her 2006 novel for younger readers, “Incantation,” set during the Spanish Inquisition, and in 2011’s “The Dovekeepers,” about the Roman siege of Masada. Consider who "we" refers to in relation to the story and to your own life. These masks, just like the ones Lea projects onto the Nazis, show that “the world that they knew” is a place worth fighting and suffering for. Ms. Hoffman conjures an alluring novel that lingers long after it’s read. Visitors can view some of BookBrowse for free. 25 Real-World Discussion Topics for Learners. Buy the Book: Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, IndieBound, Books-A-Million, Hudson Booksellers, Powell's, Simon & Schuster, Target An instant New York Times and Indiebound bestseller. It made its own corrupt sense; it swore that the good were evil, and that evil had come to save mankind. The loss of a mother and the loss of a child is central to the story. Lea, a twelve-year-old girl, determines that “demons were on the streets. This is what one must turn to when there was no other option.”.